Chief deputy is a rank title used in American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 law enforcement

Law enforcement

Law enforcement broadly refers to any system by which some members of society act in an organized manner to promote adherence to the law by discovering and punishing persons who violate the rules and norms governing that society...

. The position of chief deputy is primarily found within the office of sheriff

Sheriff

A sheriff is in principle a legal official with responsibility for a county. In practice, the specific combination of legal, political, and ceremonial duties of a sheriff varies greatly from country to country....

throughout the United States. In some smaller agencies, a chief deputy may serve as the senior ranking officer below the sheriff. In larger agencies, other officers may outrank the chief deputy, but officers with this title are usually senior members of a department command staff.